John hughes



nim: met ietwat @frn JOI-IN'v HUGHES, OF BROOKLYN, NEWv YORK. ASSIGNOR T0 HIMSELF ANDir JAMES R. HITCHCOCK, OF NEW YORK CITY.

Letters Patent No. 65,227, dated M'ay 28, 1867.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN HUGHES, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented a new and useful improvement inthe Manufacture of Sulphuric and other Acids; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which--L Figure 1 is a plan or top view ofmy invention. i

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of thc same.

Figure 3 is a top view of a modified plan of my apparatus.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus for concentrating sulphuric" acid to any desired degree, but which may also be used for any other kind of acid.

This invention consists in the use of a series of pans made of glass, porcelain, stone, eartheuware, or any other suitable material, which are set in double rows upon a furnace, in such a manner that the pans which are farthest from therire arethe highest: each pan being a little lower that. thepreoedingone the nearer it is to the tire.V Provision is made that the acid may easily flow from one pair of pans to the next lower pair. All the pans are set in a sand-bath, and are .supported by iron plates which extend over the fireplace. 4The acid is poured into the uppermost pair of pans, and thence flows gradually into the next pair, Ste., approaching the tiro the more, the lower it descends. The pans being of large diameter, and Hat, and the acid flowing very slowly through them, nearly all the water contained in them must be evaporated. Provision is made that any sulphuric gases given off by the evaporation may be returned to the vitriol-chamber.

A represents a furnace, built of brick or any other suitable material, being lower at the front'than at the rear end. It is arched over, as shown in fig. 2, and a chamber, B, is provided in it, which extends through its whole length, gradually vinclining upward the further it is from the fire-chamber C. A series of horizontal plates D D is laid across the chamber B, dividing the same into tw'o compartments, the lower one, a, being for the fire and smoke to pass through, while in the upper one, b, the pans E are arranged. The plates D are laid in steps one abovethe other, as shown, the spaces between their ends being closed by vertical plates c. Upon the plates D is placed a layer of sand, d, upon which the pa'ns E are set. Two pans are set upon each plate D, and each pan is provided with a spout, e, whereby the acid istransferred to the next lower pan. The acid to be concentrated is, by means of siphons or otherwise, pouredfinto the uppermost pair of pans, whence it will ow gradually downward until at the lowest pair it is at the required degree of concentration. It is evident that with so much surfacegand with such a heat almost all the water must be evaporated. A pipe, f, is arranged in the arch above the-chamber b, to conduct any sulphurous gases, given off in the operation, to a condensing apparatus, whence they are returned to the vitriol-chamber. vThis pipe is arranged so as not to be above any of the pans, las indicated in fig. l, so.that none of the fluid that may be condensed in the pipe can drop into one ofthe hot pans. A modification of the plan herein described is shown in figs. 3 and 4, in which the chamber B is arranged perfectly level, so that the pans H may also stand level on an ironoor I. The acid is conducted from one pan to another by means of siphons K K, of whichtwo form the connection between every two pans in each row, so that should one'break the other one will keep up the communication.

In each apparatus the quantity of the acid poured into the uppermost or rear vessel is regulated so as to let the liquid pass through thc pans in the space of time which is found by practice to be required for thoroughly concentrating the sulphuric or other acid.

arranged in each furnace, nor to their size.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentvll. The flat pans E or H, arranged in a furnace substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The furnace A, provided with a longitudinal chamber, B, and with transverse plates D or I, substantially for the purposes and in the manner herein shown and described.

I do not wish to confine myself to any particular number of pans rein shown and described of transferring the acid from one pim to another, keither by 3. Tlie manner he cans of siphns K K, substantially as herein shown and means of pouts a and an inclined chamber, B, or by m described.-

l 4. An apparatus for con described.

The above specification of my ir-wcnti'on signed by me thig 10th entrnting sulphuric acd, made and opera-ting substantially as herein shown and v day of December, 1866. i

JOHN HUGHES.

Witnesse:

' WM. F. McNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

